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Knowing Your Limits

As a writer, I'm always seeking to improve. I try to make each story I write better than the last. Sometimes I get lazy, unfortunately, but overall I seek to become the best writer I possibly can, which means doing my best at every level and listening to the criticisms that readers give me.

However, being a good writer also means recognizing one's limits. It means knowing what one can and cannot write at their current level and a good sense of when to try something new, something you never thought you could do but now have more confidence to do.

I have come to that point in my writing career where I realize that there are certain things I cannot handle, at least at this point in my writing level. Let me introduce you to Terra Apocalypse, my NaNoWriMo novel that I hope(d) to one day expand into a trilogy.

It's an immense tale, exploring what would happen to a planet facing, well, the apocalypse. It would have dealt with religious extremism, whole countries going to war, racism, and various other neat things that interest me like that. The next two books in the trilogy would have dealt with even grander things, such as the origin of life and the idea of God. Add in complex, well-rounded characters, interesting plot twists at every turn, and cool sci-fi settings and it sounds like an idea that cannot fail.

I even wrote two whole drafts of TA, plus half of the third one. I did a lot of research and even read the entire Book of Revelation from beginning to end in one sitting several times to get me in the mindset necessary to write such a story of epic proportions. I told myself, "This is it. This is going to be my crowning work. When this is all over, I'm going to get it published and everyone will want to read it and it will get a crudy movie adaptation that the true fans will hate."

And yet, despite my world-building notes and desire to write this story, it never came out quite right. Drafts One and Two are, to be blunt, crud, while I gave up Draft Three and renamed it Draft Two Point Five because I couldn't finish it. I soon came face-to-face with the problem of writing a novel about the apocalypse, set on a world that wasn't Earth or anywhere else I'd previously written in. I had to deal with a lot of plot absurdities and try to justify certain character choices that, at face value, made no sense whatsoever and required far too much explanation to make sense.

At first, I thought it was really only the beginning of the story that needed work. I mean, the book opens with a royal marriage; how boring is that? Or, at least, it wasn't as interesting as it could have been, in my opinion, so I came up with a complication that never made it into any of the drafts but could have added some interest to the scene (having bandits crash the party and kidnap the bride and groom as part of a complicated political plot on the groom's brother's part).

Yet it still felt wrong whenever I tried to write Draft Three. Even bandits kidnapping royalty didn't seem quite as interesting when I began to seriously ask myself how a group of rough, uncivilized bandits could break into a royal wedding that was rife with bodyguards and security of all kinds. Even if they were hired by someone attending the wedding who had a realistic motive for getting the bride and groom out of the picture, the idea still seemed too illogical and sensational, however 'exciting' it might have been.

It was then that I had an epiphany. I realized that, however good a writer I may be, I am simply not at the point in my writing career where it was possible for me to write a tale as big and epic as Terra Apocalypse. Looking at my fanfics, I realize that I never have written a story spanning whole planets before. I mean, Dimension Hoppers come close, but even then, I only covered the parts of each dimension the protagonists visited that were important, such as a city or a ship. I didn't cover the entire dimension.

I should have realized this earlier. I had attempted to write a story like TA before, which some of you might remember me talking about in the past. It was called Two Worlds, which I gave up on because it was simply too big for me as a writer at the time. I mean, I was dealing with two worlds (as the title subtly suggests), which is definitely bigger than anything I'd dealt with previously. Even coming up with hundreds of pages of world-building didn't help; in fact, I suspect the immense world-building is what turned me off TW in the first place.

So, for now, at least, I've put aside Terra Apocalypse. I've begun work on a new original novel, currently titled The Nameless(referring to a character, not the book itself), which is thus far smaller in scope than TA or TW, but that's fine with me. I have zero world-building notes on TN, but that's also fine with me. It gives me the freedom to make up whatever I need and then figure out how it all comes together later, which is generally how I work.

Now that doesn't mean I will never go back to TA or even TW. Some day, I might return to those projects, particularly TA because I stil love the idea of using apocalyptic imagery in a world populated by robots, golems, and mandrakes.

It's just that, as a writer, I am not quite ready for a story as big or epic as TA. I should stick with what I am better at, which is stories set in one, not terribly large location, with little of the surrounding world fleshed out. That's kind of what The Nameless is like, which is why I like it so much and why I think it has a better chance of making it to the final stages of editing than TA or TW ever had.

My piece of advice for other writers out there, then, is to know your limits. If you're a new writer, you might not know what you can and cannot do, so I suggest experimenting. Or if you're dealing with a story that seems to be going nowhere, you might just need to drop it for now because you might not be good enough to do the story justice.

Just don't think of it as a failure or look at yourself as a failure. Both TA and TW have taught me my limits as a writer, which means there will likely be less unfinished manuscripts sitting on my laptop's hard drive now because I know what stories I can and cannot do. Perhaps this story you're working on will teach you the same thing or another important lesson that you as a writer need to learn in order to improve.

Very good advice. There are ideas I have bouncing around that I realize I just don't have the skill yet to pull off, and my short stories have helped me ID what I would have to work on if I ever wanted to do the larger things.

Bionicle Epics

The Tales of Shika Nui (NOTE: Links to Shika Trilogy Omnibus edition)Status: CompleteRating: PGChapters: 16Summary: When six Matoran thieves are transformed into new Toa heroes and are forced into combat with the Dark Hunters that rule Shika Nui, will they prevail? Find out in the first chapter of the Shika Trilogy of BIONICLE epics!

Tapestry of Evil (NOTE: Links to Shika Trilogy Omnibus edition)Status: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 23Summary: After the events of the last epic, the Toa Shika find themselves in Wyoko, a land of shadow. Here they discover the ancient Kra-Matoran tribe and their six Toa, known as the Shodios, are attempting to leave their prison and renew their conquest of the universe as they did 100,000 years ago. Will the Toa Shika be able to defeat them, and if so, at what price? Find out in the second chapter of the Shika Trilogy!

An Unlikely Alliance (NOTE: Links to Shika Trilogy Omnibus edition)Status: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 30Summary: In An Unlikely Allinace, the third and final chapter of the Shika Trilogy, the Toa Shika return to Shika Nui to find it has changed much since their adventures in Wyoko, and in more ways than one. Forced to ally with new friends and old enemies alike to stop an evil greater than any they have face thus far, the Toa Shika are about to prove themselves as true Toa and as true heroes. But will they learn to work with their new, rather unlikely allies or will their disunity allow the might of the mysterious Tuikas monsters to crush them?

Dimension HoppersStatus: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 20Summary: When a valuable treasure is stolen from the island of Tanjo Nui, its two guaridans discover that the thief is a dimension hopper. In order to chase the thief and retrieve the Time Stone, Isarot and Toa Kiriah use a Kanohi Olmak to hop dimensions to go after the thief. Will they succeed? And if they do, will their dimension hopping give them the wisdom they need to understand the Time Stone's true purpose?

Dimension Hoppers: The Other TaleStatus: CompleteRating: PGChapters: 10Summary: Taking place during the events of Dimension Hoppers, Toa Nasis and Toa Ahova investigate the possibility of Dark Hunter involvement in the recent theft of the Time Stone. The Shadowed One soon learns of the Time Stone's theft and sends the Dark Hunter Raider to steal it. What will happen when the Toa clash with the Dark Hunter?

The Ghost King's TragedyStatus: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 10Summary: Toa Akuna, Toa Kiriah, Toa Oggakia, and Toa Ahova have been gathered by a mysterious being known as the Master of Mist for a special mission. They will go to the island World's End to seek the secret to defeating Makuta Teridax, but will they achieve this mission or will the Ghost King's might destroy the four heroes?

Dawn of the New CenturyStatus: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 29Summary: Fifty-thousand years after the death of Makuta Teridax, a messiah-like figure named Masqouth appears seemingly out of nowhere in Zisar, the capital of New Zakaz, promising freedom and prosperity to the enslaved Skakdi people. He backs up his claims by miraculously healing wounded or sick Skakdi, all the while hiding his true intentions for these people.

At the same time, a Skakdi named Kafor is kidnapped by two Dark Hunters, one a Skrall codenamed Night and the other a Vortixx codenamed Heavyweight. Kafor knows the fate that awaits her at the foot of the Shadowed One's throne, but cannot escape her kidnappers no matter how hard she tries.

In the city of New Atero, detective Toa Niham investigates two similar kidnappings while trying to balance her precarious love life with the famous Glatorian Rubella the Red Star. Little does she knew just how intimately related these two kidnappings are, nor the hidden secrets they will lead her to uncover.

Meanwhile, Toa Kiriah, veteran guardian of the Time Stone, is summoned by the Almighty Ones in order to help them deal with a new threat. But an unexpected attack forces Kiriah to change her plans and work with people whom she never though she would find herself working with.

The lives of these people are destined to intertwine in ways none expect. And when they collide, they -- and their world -- will be changed forever.

In the EndStatus: CompleteRating: PG-13Chapters: 20Summary: In this sequel to Dawn of the New Century, the Dawn Duology comes to its thrilling conclusion as the conflict between the Almighty Ones and King Atuje finally comes to a head with Atuje's acquisition of a new physical body. With his new body, Atuje goes to finish the Almighty Ones once and for all, as well as anyone who allies with them.

Night, Kiriah, and Jetrupi attempt to stop him, but Atuje banishes them to a universe none of them have ever been to before. Even worse, they must survive a dangerous maze created by a mad female Skrall who names herself after a trickster goddess, a maze so dangerous that only few have ever came out of it alive.

Meanwhile, Rubella the Red Star, a famous Glatorian fighter, enlists the help of the mysterious Toa Cina to rescue her girlfriend, Niham, from the clutches of Masqouth and the Echoes. Though Cina is friendly and helpful, she seems to be hiding something from Ruby, but Ruby may not find out what it is until it's too late.

As for Masqouth, he currently believes that all is well and that he will be reunited with his parents shortly. Yet doubt begins to creep in his mind as to the trustworthiness of Atuje, forcing him to decide who he is really loyal to.

In the end, all of these threads will come together for the grand finale. When they do, there is no telling who will live and who will die.

(Author's note: This is the FINAL epic in the Shikaverse.)

The Glatorian Chronicles

What is the Glatorian Chronicles?

The Glatorian Chronicles is a series of BIONICLE fanfiction short stories that star each of the twelve Glatorian characters released as sets in 2009. Each story is independent of the others and can be read by itself with little-to-no confusion on the reader's part. All of them are written in first person.

Glatorian Chronicles #1: Gresh's First MatchSummary: Gresh is one of the youngest known Glatorian. But how did he first become a Glatorian? What made him want to become one, anyway? Find out in the first in the series of Short Stories called the Glatorian Chronicles! (Author's note: GFM isn't called a Glatorian Chronicle in the topic itself because I posted this before I decided to make it into the first GC)

Glatorian Chronicles #2: Malum's ExileSummary: Malum is an exiled Glatorian from Vulcanus and is considered highly dangerous by most. But how did he get exiled? And how did he end up leader of a pack of Vorox? Check out the second Glatorian Chronicle for my interpretations of these events!

Glatorian Chronicles #3: IntrudersSummary: Follow from the point of view of a female Vorox named Sril as she tries to get intruders out of her territory. Will she succeed in this third installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series or will she fail? Read it and find out!

Glatorian Chronicles #4: The Fallen WarriorSummary: Tarix finds a strange message from a being supposedly known as "The Fallen Warior." Coupled with some mysterious murders and yet another message challenging him to fight in Sandray canyon, will Tarix discover the identity of the Fallen Warrior before it is too late?

Find out in the fourth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!Chapters: 3STATUS: Complete

Glatorian Chronicles #5: Honor Versus GreedSummary: In the fifth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series, Strakk stumbles upon the identity of the traitor and makes a deal with him. The deal is that if Strakk betrayed the villages to the Skrall, then he would be allowed to live once the Skrall have taken over Bara Magna. The traitor agrees to the deal, but what will Strakk do when he learns that the Skrall have been defeated by the rest of the Glatorian?

Glatorian Chronicles #6: New BeginningsSummary: With Tuma defeated by a strange warrior clad in yellow armor, the Skrall army has been scattered all over the face of Bara Magna, and the Skrall named Branar finds himself alone in the vast desert at night. Here he encounters a baterra, but will he survive his encounter with the shape shifting entity or wille he die in this final confrontation with one of his worst enemies?

Find out in the sixth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!

Glatorian Chronicles #7: ConfrontationSummary: Lead by Mata Nui, the Glatorian and Agori of Bara Magna take on the Skrall and Bone Hunters in one last battle. Vastus, the Prime Glatorian ofTesara, is isolated from the rest of the group and engages the Bone Hunter Fero in combat. Will he defeat Fero or will the Bone Hunter walk away with Vastus'weapon as his prize?

Find out in the seventh installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!

Summary: A mysterious Glatorian called Jetrupi has arrived in Tajun. Rumors that he has mysterious powers caused Kiina to believe he might be from another world. She decides to figure out for herself, but is she prepared for the truth surrounding the mysterious warrior or is she in over her head?

Find out in the eighth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!

Glatorian Chronicles #9: Reluctant AlliesSummary: The Core War has been rippling through Spherus Magna like a wave, striking everywhere its combatants choose to battle. One of these soldiers, named Ackar, is isolated from his troop after a clash with the Water Tribe army and has to ally himself with the Water Tribe warrior, Kiina, who has also been isolated from her army, in order to survive and return to their respective armies. Can the two learn to work together and reach their armies, despite their differences? Or will their distrust of each other be their downfall?

Find out in the ninth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!Chapters: 6STATUS: Complete

Glatorian Chronicles #10: For Fame and for FortuneSummary: During the Battle of Roxtus, the elite forces Skrall Stronius escapes into the Black Spike Mountains after wounding the Glatorian Gelu. However, Gelu heads after the Skrall, but soon finds himself up against a foe he is not sure he can defeat. Will Gelu survive his encounter with Stronius or will he die?

Find out in the tenth installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!

Glatorian Chronicles #11: Obsidian Among the FrostSummary: Stronius and an unnamed Skrall find themselves separated from the rest of their squad following a fierce battle with the Fire army. They are stalked by a monstrous mutation that is attracted to sharp objects, of which they have plenty of. Will Stronius and the Skrall survive this ordeal or will they be eaten alive by the monster?

Find out in the eleventh installment of the Glatorian Chronicles series!

Miscellaneous Short Stories

Summary: Axonn is one of the greatest Order of Mata Nui members, even to this day. But how, exactly, did he end up joining that particular organization? What prompted him to join it? And what was his first mission? Read this short story to read one author's interpretation of events!

Summary: Originally an entry for Short Stories Contest #5, this short story focuses on Icarax as he realizes that he has feelings for Gorast during the time when Teridax had ordered the two Makuta to hunt down unloyal members of the Brotherhood. Will Icarax succeed in winning Gorast over or will he tragically fail?

Summary: In an alternate universe, King Brutaka has ruled the Matoran Universe for 2000 years. But in his old age is becoming increasingly paranoid and mistrusting of everybody, for he believes that Axonn - whom he had banished from the universe 2000 years ago - has returned to kill him. Is Brutaka correct in that assumption or is he simply paranoid?

S&T Contest #6: False HopesSummary: This story follows Mantax and Pridak as they attempt to steal what might be an important, previously unknown treasure from the Zyglak of the Pit. Pridak believes it will give the Barraki the ability to breathe air again, while Mantax privately thinks it is proof that someone had betrayed the League of Six Kingdoms all those years ago. Will they succeed in their quest?

Library Summer Olympics 2010: An Abrupt EndSummary: Makuta Koghi, the Makuta of the Southern Islands, attempts to take the island of Shika Nui by striking at what he believes to be its weakest defenses. But when the battle suddenly turns in the favor of his enemies, will the Makuta live long enough to regret his hasty decision?

BS01 Contest #5: A Change in PlansSummary: When the Dark Hunter Flamer is defeated and jailed by a Toa team, Guardian is sent by the Shadowed One to eliminate the captured Hunter before he can reveal Odina's location to the Toa.

However, when Guardian arrives, he learns from a badly wounded Flamer that one of the Toa, a Toa of Psionics named Varian, managed to learn the location of Odina from him and has gone to inform her allies. This forces Guardian to go after Varian, before Odina's security is put at an even greater risk than before. Will he succeed in capturing her or will he fail?

SS Contest #8: The Triumph of the ToaSummary: After escaping the destruction of their village, Turaga Mohadias and the few villagers still at his side are in a desperate situation, which is definitely not the time for stories. Yet Nurmaz, one of the Matoran, wishes to hear the story of the triumph of the Toa Avha. Mohadias decides to tell the story, but wonders if there is something wrong with Nurmaz. What are Nurmaz's motives for wanting to hear this story? Will Mohadias find out?

Two TalesSummary: A compiliation of TNTOS's Flash Fiction Warm Up entries. Includes "The Curse of Vagueness" and "The Test."

The Biological Chronicle

The Biological Chronicle isa series of flash fics written by me. Like my earlier Glatorian Chronicles series of short stories/short epics, each story in The Biological Chronicle is a standalone and the stories can be read in any order you please.

What connects these story is the basic theme. I gave myself the challenge of writing ten flash fics based on the ten years of Bionicle (one for 2001, another for 2002, yet another for 2003, etc.). The result is a mixture of my interpretation of scenes from canon, scenes from canon that were mentioned but never shown, and a few scenes that were never mentioned nor shown but which I nonetheless believe could have/probably did happen at some point in canon. I tried to stick to canon as closely as possible, however, so don't expect to see any new characters or locations or anything like that that weren't in canon.

Each story is under 800 words, so they are a very quick read. Enjoy:

The Biological Chronicle: 2001Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: The first in a new series of flash fics, this story depicts the scene of Tahu's arrival on the island of Mata Nui.

The Biological Chronicle: 2002Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the second installment of The Biological Chronicle, Onua sets up a trap to obtain the final Krana he needs to complete his collection.

The Biological Chronicle: 2003Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the third installment of The Biological Chronicle, Kopaka finds himself facing six Rahkshi at once.

The Biological Chronicle: 2004Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the fourth installment of The Biological Chronicle, Krekka is annoyed by a Po-Matoran carver whose work he accidentally destroyed.

The Biological Chronicle: 2005Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the fifth installment of The Biological Chronicle, Norik is surrounded by Visorak and must survive.

The Biological Chronicle: 2006Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the sixth installment of The Biological Chronicle, Zaktan has to act Toa-like in a precarious situation.

The Biological Chronicle: 2007Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the seventh installment of The Biological Chronicle, Kalmah confronts Mantax about harm that the latter's snacking preferences are doing to the Barraki's ammunition supply.

The Biological Chronicle: 2008Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the eighth installment of The Biological Chronicle, Gavla makes a new friend in Metru Nui on the day of Mata Nui's awakening.

The Biological Chronicle: 2009Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the ninth installment of The Biological Chronicle, the Element Lord of Ice makes Surel an offer.

The Biological Chronicle: 2010Rating: GGenre: Flash FictionSummary: In the tenth installment of The Biological Chronicle, two Great Beings discuss the possibility of the Makuta rebelling and how to combat them should that happen.